AT&T Wireless subsidiary Triton PCS said it added 84,811 customers in quarter ended Dec. 31 and for year subscriber base doubled to 446,401 from 1999. Triton said churn (customer turnover rate) dropped to 1.78% in quarter from 1.94% in 3rd quarter. Roaming min. in 4th quarter rose to 110 million from 56.6 million. Leap Wireless ended 2000 with 190,000 customers in 10 markets, adding 127,500 in quarter ended Dec. 31 and tripling subscriber base and exceeding year-end goals, Leap CEO Harvey White said. Leap plans to offer its Cricket wireless service in 35 markets by end of this year.

Walt Disney Internet Group said its enhanced-TV telecast of last Wed.’s FedEx Orange Bowl on ABC attracted 122,000 unique viewers to TV-Internet event. Viewers, who logged on to their PCs for specially synchronized Web content while watching football game on TV sets, spent average of 40 min. apiece on enhanced TV features, Disney said. Broadcaster said usage rose as much as 39% after each promo on ABC.

Michael Kennedy moves up to dir.-global relations, Motorola… Betsy Kulick, ex-Motient, named dir.-external relations, Final Analysis… John Fiorini, ex-Gardner, Carton & Douglas, appointed partner, Wiley, Rein & Fielding… Nicole Buie, advanced to dir.-research and education, CableRep Adv…Stephen Parker, ex-Russell Reynolds, named managing dir.-information systems and e-commerce, Hailes & Assoc… Jack Zwaska to receive career achievement award to be named after him by Bcst. Cable Financial Management Assn. Jan. 10… Adam Singer, Telewest, appointed non-exec. member of board, QXL ricardo… Jeffrey Liberman advanced to pres.-Radio Div., Entravision Communications, replacing Amador Bustos, who resigned as executive but remains with company… Kay Jackson promoted to dir.-regulatory affairs, Cox Communications… Travis Rutherford, ex-ememories.com, named senior vp, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive, replacing Doug Gleason, resigned… Richard O'Brien, ex-Special Olympics, appointed exec. vp-dir.-govt. relations, American Assn. of Advertising Agencies… Changes at Prodigy Communications: Added to board: Robert McClane, Joseph McKinney and Randall Stephenson; resigned from board: Marc Goldberg and Arturo Elias… Vicki Livingston, ex-Telecorp PCS, named dir.-mktg., Universal Wireless Communications Consortium… William Carey, advanced to pres.- Southwest Tex. Div., Time Warner Cable, replacing Jeffrey King… Peter Uhlmann promoted to chief of staff for Rep. Cox (R-Cal.) from legislative dir., but will continue as principal adviser on Internet and telecom issues.

Minn. Gov. Jesse Ventura (Ind.) outlined his telecom reform agenda for 2nd half of his term. In State of State address Jan. 4, he called for: (1) Abolishing outdated telecom regulations that he said stood in way of developing telecom competition. (2) Bringing advanced digital telecom services to every household and business in state by promoting competition and investment in high- tech telecom. (3) Eliminating implicit subsidies in telecom service rates. Ventura didn’t go into details on how he would accomplish his goals, but said overhaul of state’s telecom laws was needed to ensure Minn. cities would have access to modern high-speed telecom infrastructure that’s prerequisite for attracting new business investment.

TechNet formally announced appointment of former Rep. Rick White (R-Wash.) as its new CEO. White founded Congressional Internet Caucus and was involved in numerous Internet-related laws, including Internet Tax Freedom Act. He has been partner in Perkins, Coie since losing reelection bid in 1998. “I'm really excited about it,” White told us in interview. He said TechNet would set its agenda for year in executive committee meeting Jan. 11, but he expected hot issues to be trade and education. “I don’t see a whole lot of threats from the government,” White said. “Both parties still want to do business with us. We still have a window of opportunity” for key issues, and “frankly I can’t think of a lot of people opposed to technology.” He said that during his time in Congress, “there was an aversion in the technology community to spend time with government, and government quite frankly didn’t get it… There’s been a gradual evolution in the right direction.”

Month after postponing consideration of thorny DTV transition issues, FCC intends to tackle at least some DTV matters at its Jan. 11 open meeting. Well-placed sources said Commission was likely to approve bid by new DTV-only station to gain cable must- carry status and require consumer electronics manufacturers to put digital tuners in all new TV sets by date certain, among other less controversial items. But what’s not clear was whether agency would tackle core issue of whether cable operators and DBS providers should carry broadcasters’ analog and digital signals during current DTV transition. Action on dual-carriage issue, which has been hanging over federal regulators for more than 2 years, has been postponed repeatedly by Commission.

Qualcomm reached CDMA modem card license agreement with Korea’s Qualified Mobile Telecommunications (QMtel), terms not disclosed. Royalty-bearing deal allows QMtel to develop and manufacture CDMA and cdma2000 1xEV modem card products for use in wireless data devices, including personal digital assistants. QMtel said it also was developing CDMA products such as e-books.

CWA and IBEW members ratified 2-year extension of existing collective bargaining agreement with Qwest. Contract, negotiated in 4th quarter last year, covers wage and pension increases, including 3.5% wage hike effective Aug. 19. Original CWA contract, covering most Qwest union employees, was signed in Sept. 1998 following 3-week strike. Agreement was to expire Aug. 16, with extension now keeping it in place until Aug. 16, 2003. Other provisions include: (1) 5% wage increase that takes effect Aug. 18, 2002. (2) 6% pension increase effective July 1, 2002. (3) 10% pension raise July 1, 2003. IBEW extension with Dex directory unit provides similar increases with different timelines depending on contract schedules, Qwest said. Contract extension between Qwest Dex management and CWA has been tentatively ratified and must be approved by union members, Qwest said. Company said it expected to be informed of Dex vote results next month. “The union membership voted 98% in favor of ratification,” said Peter Pusateri, business mgr. of IBEW Local 1269.

Bidding in FCC’s C- and F-block auction slowed Fri., but reached $13.07 billion, with Verizon Wireless maintaining wide lead of $5.52 billion in net high bids. Other top bidders include AT&T Wireless-backed Alaska Native Wireless with $2.75 billion and Cingular Wireless-backed Salmon PCS with $1.94 billion. AT&T Wireless doesn’t appear in list of top 15 bidders, and Cingular isn’t competing as standalone entity. In all, top 15 bidders now include 13 designated entities, most of which have links to larger carriers. While Verizon is by far highest bidder, $2.26 billion of its total is in bids for 2 N.Y.C. licenses at $1.17 billion and $1.1 billion. Alaska Native Wireless bid $758 million for 3rd license in that market. After 31 rounds, Verizon had highest bids on licenses in Washington, Boston, L.A., Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia. Alaska Native Wireless had high bids for spectrum in L.A. and Atlanta and Salmon PCS in Dallas license. Dobson Communications DCC PCS edged into upper echelon of bidders, placing 4th with $957.68 million, followed by VoiceStream with $540.12 million, affiliated Cook Inlet with $348.69 million, Leap Wireless with $293.47 million. Last week marked exit of several large carriers, including Sprint PCS and Alltel. Of 87 bidders who qualified at Dec. 12 start of auction, 49 remained as of late Fri. SVC BidCo, designated entity in which Sprint has 60% noncontrolling investment, still was in auction. Other bidders who have left auction include Nextel, Sprint affiliate Alamosa PCS, Nextel-affiliated designated entity Connectbid, Cincinnati Bell Wireless.

Corning Precision Lens will unveil HDTV optical platform for new model RCA TV it produced with Thomson Multimedia. Set, to be showcased at current CES in Las Vegas, creates images using liquid crystal light valves and high-intensity discharge lamp instead of CR tube.